Tuesday News, November 27th

(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will gather this morning inside the County Courthouse Boardroom. The county governing board will hear annual reports from Nick Beeck with the County Conservation Board, as well as from Jim Jones, the Plymouth County Veteran Affairs Director.
The county board of supervisors will hear from David Wilberding as he will seek approval of Township Line, a minor subdivision located within Fredonia Township. County engineer Tom Rohe will submit five different permit requests from Wes-Tel, Southern Sioux Rural Water Association, tile line crossing and an electrical line crossing. Rohe will also review with the supervisors the final plan for a bridge to be located on County road C-44 that will cross the Floyd River. The county board of supervisors will also
go into a closed session.

School Board Approves Bid For Scoreboard For Football Stadium

(Le Mars) — Last evening during the Le Mars Community Board of Education discussion focused on the new scoreboard as part of the new football stadium renovation upgrade project. The school board was going back and forth reviewing the benefits and disadvantages of a video scoreboard compared to a
combination of a traditional scoreboard with a video screen attachment. Ten different bids were submitted by four different companies. After much discussion, the school board approved a plan submitted by Daktronics of Brookings, South Dakota that includes both a scoreboard and a video screen board. The accepted bid was at $176,917. The dimensions of the scoreboard
and video component would measure 13 feet two inches by 24 feet. In other action taken by the school board, they approved the addition of five people to serve on the Le Mars Community School District’s Foundation Board. The five include: Debra Ahlers, Eddie Webb, Terri Martin, Kay Michaelson, and
Dr. Greg Jeneary. The school board approved the contract for Megan Ahrens as the Middle School study hall supervisor for five and a half hours a day at $15.22 per hour.

Le Mars To Kickoff Holiday Season This Weekend With Annual Christmas Lighted Parade

(Le Mars) — It can be said that the holiday season for Le Mars will kick off this weekend. There are plenty of festive events scheduled including the painting of holiday ornaments at the Le Mars Arts Center from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., followed by the Cocoa and Carols at 4:00 p.m. Floyd Valley Healthcare will hold its annual Goodie sale on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until
12:00 noon. Pioneer Village at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds will feature its Winter Wonderland beginning at 5:30 p.m. and continuing until 8:30 p.m. St. John’s Lutheran Church will hold its Christmas tour of homes scheduled for this weekend, and the annual Le Mars Lighted Christmas Parade is scheduled to travel down Central Avenue on Saturday evening beginning at
6:00 p.m. Joel Johnson is again serving as the parade’s organizer.

The parade organizer says there is no registration for the Christmas Lighted Parade. Entries simply need to show up at the 8th Street Boulevard at 5:00 p.m. and parade officials will assist with lining up the parade entries.

Man Accused Of Killing Iowa State University Female Golfer Has Change Of Attorney

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) – A man charged with murder in the death of an Iowa State University golfer has been granted a new attorney over the objections of his current lawyer.
The Des Moines Register reports Story County District Court Judge Bethany Currie granted a request Monday by 22-year-old Collin Richards for a different attorney. He cited a “communication issue.”
Richards’ current attorney, public defender Paul Rounds, objected to the request, saying there weren’t grounds for the change.
Currie granted the request. She says she’ll appoint an attorney from the state public defender’s Marshalltown office.
Richards is charged with first-degree murder in the death of student Celia Barquin Arozamena. She was killed Sept. 17 while she was playing a round at a public course in Ames, near the university campus.
Richards has pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled for April 30, 2019.
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Woman Accused Of Pouring Gasoline On Man And Setting Him On Fire

CLIVE, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have accused a woman of pouring gasoline on a man and setting him aflame in a suburb of Des Moines.
Polk County court records say 24-year-old Kaydee Cuesta is charged with willful injury causing serious injury. Her next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 6. Her attorney, Trever Hook, told The Des Moines Register that Cuesta will plead not guilty and says she denies the accusation.
Police say Cuesta grabbed a gas container outside a Clive home on Oct. 18 and tried to splash gas on the man. Then she approached him again, poured gas on the front of his clothing and used a lighter to start the blaze.
The man was treated at an area hospital and then transferred to a burn center at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City.
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Iowa Harvest Nearly Completed

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Most of the state’s corn and soybean crop have been harvested ahead of a snowstorm that blanketed much of southern and eastern Iowa.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Monday that 96 percent of Iowa’s corn crop had been harvested as of Sunday. While the percentage is even higher in northwest, north-central and central Iowa, 13 percent of corn remained to be harvested in southwest Iowa.
That statewide percentage is four days behind the five-year average.
Iowa’s soybean harvest was 98 percent complete. That’s 12 days behind the five-year average.